Solomon

Thomas

An eight-year veteran, Thomas will head to Dallas after three seasons with the Jets. Thomas only missed one game over three years in New York and totaled 9.5 sacks along with 83 tackles over that span. He’ll join a Cowboys defensive line that last season pressured the passer at the NFL’s highest rate and was graded by Pro Football Focus as the league’s fourth best pass-rushing defensive line.

Though the details of the contract haven’t been reported yet, it’s safe to assume Thomas is returning on an affordable, short-term deal. He appeared in all 17 games for the Jets last year but was only credited with three starts. He did, however, tally five sacks, a career-high for the veteran. Thomas will return as a rotational defensive lineman for the 2024 season.

The former No. 3 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft now returns to the Jets on his second-consecutive one-year deal. Thomas appeared in all 17 games for the Jets last season, totaling 26 tackles, but managed just a half sack on the season. Thomas hasn’t exactly lived up to his high draft stock but is a seasoned veteran who is familiar with Saleh’s system.

Thomas suffered a torn ACL early in the 2020 season and joined the Raiders on a one-year deal last offseason. He appeared in all 17 games for Las Vegas but never earned a start and played on roughly half of the team’s defensive snaps. He tallied 3.5 sacks and three TFLs. Thomas previously played for Jets head coach Robert Saleh while the latter was San Francisco’s defensive coordinator. Thomas brings some familiarity and versatility to New York but doesn’t project to be a starter.

Thomas missed most of the 2020 season with a torn ACL that will require more offseason rehabilitation. The one-year contract is a prove-it deal after Thomas underwhelmed in San Francisco, picking up 6.0 sacks across 48 career games. GM Mike Mayock has brought in EDGE Yannick Ngakoue and Thomas in during free agency. Both are boom-bust acquisitions, and he needs them to boom to keep his job beyond the 2021 season.

He’ll miss the rest of the year to a torn ACL. The 49ers also officially placed DL Solomon Thomas (knee) on IR. San Francisco has since signed Ezekiel Ansah and promoted DL Dion Jordan to the active roster. Bosa should be ready for Week 1 next season.

Thomas has been used as a rotational piece in the 49ers defensive line since being drafted with the No.3 overall pick. He could have been in line for a larger role with Nick Bosa also out but now it comes down to Arik Armstead to pick up the slack for San Francisco.

The 49ers lost Nick Bosa on the play before Thomas went down. Arik Armstead sacked Sam Darnold on the very next play. San Francisco still has defensive line talent but the injuries are now a serious concern for the team. Thomas has underwhelmed since San Francisco selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in 2017 but still plays an important role for their defense.

It was a no brainer as exercising his option would’ve landed Thomas roughly $13 million in 2021. He’ll instead hit the market as an unrestricted free agent next offseason barring a surprising breakout. The former No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Thomas has underwhelmed with six sacks and 16 tackles for loss in 46 games with San Francisco. 25 in August, he’ll continue to be used as a rotational pass rusher this upcoming season.

The 49ers have not revealed the nature of his injury, though it’s obviously poor timing with less than 72 hours until Sunday’s 1 PM ET kickoff. In the midst of a breakout year, Armstead’s team-high 10 sacks are more than he had in his previous four seasons combined. Solomon Thomas would be a candidate to fill in at defensive end if Armstead can’t go.